Tag Archive for 'winter'

Bud Break

Published on February 24, 2009 in Growth Cycle and Joanie Hudson. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

Our urban winery’s location does not allow me to have a hands on monitoring of what goes on in the vineyard on a day to day basis.  I do know that right now is an exciting time for growers as spring is near and bud break is just around the corner.  Perennial plants (such as grapevines) bloom and mature over spring and summer then go dormant every autumn and winter after harvest.  Spring marks the first emergence of the shoots that will grow to bear grapes by September.  This can be a nerve racking time for winemakers whose first thought on very cold nights in spring is frost damage.  Once bud break occurs, the flowerings are vulnerable to frost damage.  

Frost occurs when the plant and grapes are colder than the surrounding air when temperatures are close to freezing.  So when we have very cold nights, temperatures dip down and bring the temperature of the buds down with them, as the air warms back up sometimes the grape can’t quite keep up, and this causes frost damage on the vines.  This type of damage affects yields and has the potential to drastically reduce fall harvest.   When this occurs, it takes extremely dedicated vineyard management to maintain quality.  

Hopes are very high for a great 2009 vintage in Santa Barbara County, and its beginning is just around the corner…

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

Lafond Winery New Releases Open House

Published on January 15, 2009 in Joanie Hudson, Lafond Winery and New Releases. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

Grab your favorite wine tasting partner and make a note in your calendar to stop by Lafond Winery’s New Release Open House on Saturday, January 24.  The excitement of a new release always has us eagerly popping the cork in the tasting room to welcome the new kid on the block.  How does it compare to the previous vintage?  Will I like it as much?  These questions can be answered on your first sip of your winter wine tasting day at Lafond.  

What winter?  Yesterday was a sparkling clean eighty degrees in downtown Santa Barbara so most likely you won’t be wearing your scarves and beanies next weekend unless there is a dramatic weather turn.  I will always be happy to give you an excuse to go wine tasting, and here is the perfect opportunity to enjoy our out of whack summer weather, taste an assortment of wines that are being officially unveiled together, and take the windy ocean-view 101 freeway trip up or down to our vineyard.

Buying wine at a winery is much more fulfilling than running down to a wine shop an hour before dinner hits the table.  The wine has a story behind it, an experience, a day trip.  Laugh for a second time about something you laughed about the day that you bought it, reflect on a beautiful day in the vineyard away from the chaos of any downtown city, away from your dogs barking, or to do list that grows even as you cross things off.  

So come try the new releases with a celebratory selection of cheese and breads.

Lafond 2007 SRH Pinot Noir

Lafond 2007 SRH Syrah

Lafond 2006 Chardonnay Lafond Vineyard

Lafond 2006 Pinot Noir Arita Hills Vineyard

Lafond Winery New Releases Open House, Saturday January 24, 10am-5pm

6855 Santa Rosa Road (Sta. Rita Hills)

805-688-7921

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

Post Holidays

Published on December 26, 2008 in Joanie Hudson. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Happy Holidays!  While the season is coming to an end, you can still order your New Years gifts to arrive in time for the final stop on holiday road.  If you need a place to take the out of towners over the weekend, bring them into the winery for some tasting.  We are open everyday except for New Years Day.  

Our newest release (see posting below) is another stellar wine from the 2007 vintage.  The 2007 Lafond SRH Pinot Noir is a nice match with a variety of dishes, and has the structure to hold and develop over the next decade.  

Also, if you’re tired of cooking and being in the kitchen, the Bistro has a delicious selection of special winter inspired entrees that range from Beef Bourguignon to Gnoc N Cheese (a twist on Mac N Cheese with Chorizo and Wild Mushrooms).  Let somebody else do the work!

I hope everybody has had a happy, safe and fun holiday season!

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

Holiday Rhones

Published on December 11, 2008 in Joanie Hudson and Wine and Food Pairing. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , .

Thanksgiving has passed, but the holidays are just now stepping into their full stride.  The rest of the holiday season gives us a little bit more flexibility in terms of menu planning and wine selection.  While traditional Thanksgiving dinner consists of roasted turkey, creamy potato mash, stuffing, and cranberry sauce year after year, December is full of opportunities to entertain in a variety of styles for a rotating audience.  It becomes more about seasonal cooking (think hearty warming dishes).  Techniques of braising, roasting, and slow cooking transform Farmer’s Market produce into much softer and more cooked versions of their summer selves.  Back in the days before heating systems people used to slow cook their meats throughout the entire day because the warmth from the oven would help push out the winter chill.  

While my family plays Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas carols on repeat we are typically in the kitchen chopping herbs, making salad dressings, and preparing for dinner.  Go to wines include sparklers and Rhone reds.  These structured wines go so well with December evenings, with nuances of herbs, smoke, meat, and richly baked fruits.  Syrah, Grenache, Mouvedre, Petite Sirah, and Counoise are among the varietals that come from France’s Rhone Valley – split up into Northern and Southern Rhone.  In the North, Syrah is king, while the South’s Chateauneuf du Pape blends are Grenache-based.  

Syrah grows very well in Santa Barbara County.  Cool climate styles from the Sta. Rita Hills lean towards a black spice character while the warmer Santa Ynez produces wines with a distinctly jammy fruit character.  We produce a few different Syrahs between the Santa Barbara Winery label and the Lafond label.  Current releases under the SBW label include 2005 Santa Barbara County Syrah, 2006 Santa Ynez Valley Syrah.  From Lafond, the 2006 SRH Syrah and the 2005 Lafond Vineyard Syrah are available as well as the 2006 Syrah Grenache blend.  SBW also produces a Grenache, a Grenache Syrah blend, and Petite Sirah.  

Check out this Wine Spectator article on “Holiday Entertaining – Rhone Style” - 

http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Features/0,1197,4736,00.html

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

Planting Cover Crop at Lafond Vineyards

Published on November 8, 2008 in Articles on Wine and Vineyards and Winter in the Vineyard. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

When harvest is over it is time to prepare the vineyard for the winter rains. The photos below show the discing, which prepares and creates the furrows, followed by the seeding. The seeds are a combination of grasses which protect the vineyard from erosion.

The vineyard staff was very proud of their planning abilities. The disc tractor moves at 3mph and the seeder at 5mph. How much leeway to give the disc tractor so that the seed tractor does not bump into it? Apparently it has been calculated with precision and it never happens.

Click images to enlarge: